S. Samuel
Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne is proving he is more than just a platinum-selling artist as new reports show his I Am Still Music tour made nearly $50 million since kicking off last spring.
According to reports, Weezy’s star-studded nationwide roadtrip banked $47 million.
In case the near-platinum first week sales of Tha Carter IV weren’t enough, the numbers for Lil Wayne’s “I Am Still Music” Tour show that his star power isn’t dying anytime soon. The tour–which featured the likes of Rick Ross, Keri Hilson, and Lloyd–consisted of 78 shows across Africa, Australia and North America between spring 2011 and this winter. The North American leg alone grossed $47 million, with sales upwards of 27,000 tickets in cities such as Buffalo, Philadelphia and Dallas. Wayne also headlined the Bamboozle Festival and Hot 97’s Summer Jam, which garnered 90,000 and 50,000 fans, respectively. (RapFix)
Wayne’s manager, Cortez Bryant, also released a statement reacting to the tour’s success.
“For so many years, critics have claimed that hip hop tours would never be successful. Lil Wayne has put the nail in the coffin of that idea,” Bryant said. “2011 has seen Lil Wayne further cement his status as a headline arena artist in the US & Canada. The I Am Still Music run exceeded our own expectations. The amount of tickets he sold in both primary and secondary markets across the country was phenomenal and we are now focusing on the expansion of his global success.” (Statement)
Throughout the year, reports landed online claiming Weezy remained alcohol-free during the tour.
Lil Wayne has announced he’ll be “dry” when he tours South Africa and Australia for the first time this month and next month. The Grammy-winning rapper, who’s reportedly bringing a whopping 50-member entourage with him to the other side of the world, will be alcohol-free the entire time thanks to his three-year probation for drug possession. Weezy’s probation conditions prohibit him from consuming liquor or knowingly associating with people engaged in criminal activities or taking narcotics. To compensate for the lack of chemical stimulation the 29-year-old’s ensuring his crew travel in style, requiring tour promoters in both countries to provide five top-of-the-range SUVs and a luxury bus. (Dr. Jays)
No stranger to success, the rap star became hip-hop’s top concert headliner in 2009.
Seventy-eight Lil Wayne headlining arena and amphitheater concerts in North America from Dec. 14, 2008, through Sept. 6, 2009, grossed approximately $42 million and drew nearly 804,000 fans, according to Lil Wayne tour producer and tour business manager Shawn Gee. The second highest-grossing rap tour that Billboard has tracked was Jay-Z‘s 2008 jaunt with Mary J. Blige, which grossed $34.6 million and drew 310,694 concertgoers to 28 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore. Kanye West‘s 2008 Glow In the Dark tour comes in third, having pulled in $30.8 million from 49 concerts that attracted 507,853 fans. (Billboard)
Check out a recent Lil Wayne interview below:
